Mitt Romney Republican Governor of Massachusetts in 2006 sponsored and signed into law the first universal health insurance plan in the United States, known as Romneycare.

Paul Rawlings

Mitt Romney Republican Governor of Massachusetts in 2006 sponsored and signed into law the first universal health insurance plan in the United States, known as Romneycare. Romney’s goal was to provide all citizens of Massachusetts affordable health insurance.

After Romneycare had been in effect five years 98.1% of all adults and 99.8% of all children in Massachusetts had health insurance, compared to 83% nationally and 74% in Texas. 76% of all businesses offered their employees health insurance compared to 70% five years earlier and 60% nationally, The cost of health care premiums for individuals went down dramatically, for some as much as 40% and on average 18% to 20%. 67% to 84% of Massachusetts residents are happy with Romneycare and would not go back to the old system if given a chance.

Jonathan Gruber a professor of economics at MIT who worked with both Romney and Obama on their respective health plans said “Overall the Massachusetts reform has gone very well and it’s done everything it was designed to do.”

Romneycare provides access to healthcare and ultimately healthier, longer lives for 500,000 people in Massachusetts who previously had no health insurance WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.

Barack Obama a Democrat President sponsored and signed into law on March 23, 2010 the first federal health insurance plan in America’s history, known as Obamacare. Obama’s goal was to provide all Americans the same affordable health care Romney had provided the citizens of Massachusetts and modeled Obamacare after Romneycare.

The Congressional Budget Office, a non partisan group, estimated Obamacare would save Americans $84 billion in health care cost in the next 10 years.

On June 28, 2012 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Obamacare was the law of the land.

Why would the health care industry spend $102.4 million trying to defeat Obamacare? Could it be because Romneycare reduced insurance premiums as much as 40% and Obamacare would save Americans millions of dollars in health insurance premiums, millions of dollars now going in the bank accounts of health insurance companies?

Why didn’t a single Republican Congressman vote for or support Obamacare?

Could it be because Republican Congressmen receive millions of dollars in contributions from the health care industry who oppose Obamacare? Check the contributor list to your Congressman.

Why did Republican Governor Mitt Romney in 2006 flip on Romneycare which provided affordable health insurance for 98.1% of all adults, 99.8% of all children, reduce the cost of health insurance premiums as much as 40%, increase the number of businesses who provided their employees health insurance WITHOUT RAISING TAXES for 500,000 citizens of Massachusetts and why did Republican Presidential Candidate/Nominee Mitt Romney in 2011 flop on Obamacare which would have provided the same benefits to 50 million Americans?

Why has the Republican controlled House spent 15% of its time and 55 million taxpayer dollars conducting debates and voting 37 times to repeal Obamacare (more than one vote a month) , knowing 37 times the matter would never be brought up for a vote in the Senate.

Rush Limbaugh said “I hope Obama fails” and Mitch McConnell added “My number 1 priority is to make Obama a one term president.”

It is a sad day in America when Republicans are willing to flip for Romneycare and provide 500,000 citizens in Massuchusetts health insurance but flop on Obamacare, modeled after Romneycare, which would provide 50 million Americans affordable health insurance.

A Republican political flip flop just to make President Obama “fail”, a Republican political flip flop to deny 50 million Americans access to affordable healthcare and ultimately healthier and longer lives.

(Paul Rawlings of Heber Springs contributes monthly to the editorial pages of The Sun-Times)